Christmas in Romania
by reilaroo
Summary: After celebrating Charlie's birthday on an island, the newly engaged couple make plans to have a very merry Christmas in Romania.
1. Trimming the Tree

Harry entered their cabin after a long day of working with the dragons. Charlie had to work late as there was a sick Hungarian Horntail that needed care. He sighed as he looked around. There were no Christmas decorations in sight. They had been busy working since they came back from the island, but Christmas was less than two weeks away. They were staying in Romania this year instead of going to England. It was their year to work during Christmas.

He decided to floo over to Potter Manor and ask Elsie and the other house-elves for help. After dusting the soot off his clothes, Harry called for Elsie.

The head Potter house-elf popped in front of him. "Master Harry, what can I do for you?"

He smiled. "Would you like to help me decorate the cabin? We need a tree and some of the beautiful decorations we had here last year."

Elsie nodded excitedly. "I will ask the other elves to help. We will get a tree and bring all the decorations to you soon."

"Thanks, Elsie. You're the best," Harry said before stepping back into the floo to return home.

The raven-haired wizard quickly cast some cleaning spells around the cabin, removing all traces of dirt and dust. He decided to place the tree in front of the large window along the far wall of the living room. He angled the couch to face both the fireplace and the window. He wanted to snuggle on the couch with Charlie, enjoying the view of their Christmas tree.

Elsie and three other house-elves appeared in the cabin with a tall Norway spruce tree and lots of boxes. Harry directed the elves to put the tree in front of the window.

"Please set the tree up over there by the window but don't decorate it. Charlie and I will trim it ourselves."

"Yes, Master Harry. Mimi, you can set the lights and ornaments by the tree. Tilly, you can get started hanging the garland. Rocky, you can hang the stockings on the mantle," Elsie said as she divided the jobs among them.

Harry started looking through the boxes of decorations. Their cabin was small and cozy, so he didn't think they would need all of the adornments and baubles. He found a beautiful wreath made from evergreens, holly berries, and a red and gold bow. Going outside, the raven-haired man was hanging the wreath on the front door when he heard his name being called.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Charlie yelled as he walked towards their cabin. The sick Hungarian Horntail was finally resting peacefully, so he was able to come home and relax with his fiancé.

Harry smiled as he watched the handsome redhead stroll towards him. "Just getting into the holiday spirit."

"Looks good, babe," Charlie said as he joined Harry at the door and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Thanks. Now let's get inside and warm you up," said Harry as he opened the door.

The blue-eyed wizard followed him into their cabin and stopped immediately. He looked around in surprise at the drastic make-over. Their cozy, rustic cabin was turning into a winter wonderland.

Harry saw his gobsmacked fiancé. He nervously asked, "Is it too much?"

Charlie tore his gaze away from their festive cabin and looked at his worried lover. "No, love, it's perfect. I just wasn't expecting it."

The redhead did honestly like the decorations. Christmas was his favorite holiday even if he did spend many of them alone in Romania. He had lots of happy memories of the spending the holiday with his large and loud family while he was growing up. Last year was his and Harry's first Christmas together as a couple and they spent it at Potter Manor, visiting with all the Weasleys except Molly. The Weasley matriarch couldn't accept that her son was gay and in a relationship with Harry. She excluded the two men from the family dinner on Christmas day and didn't make either of them a sweater. They were both hurt by her actions but refused to let her ruin their first Christmas together. The two men invited their friends and family to Potter Manor on Boxing Day for an exuberant party.

Charlie was going to miss his dad and siblings this year, but he was looking forward to spending Christmas alone with Harry. Even though they had to work, they still would have time to celebrate the holiday as a newly engaged couple. He still couldn't believe that the green-eyed wizard had accepted his proposal a few days ago on his birthday. It was the best present he could have asked for.

Harry prodded Charlie's shoulder, knocking him out of his train of thought. "I thought we could decorate the tree together. I never did it before and wanted to share it with you."

Charlie hugged him tightly. He knew his fiancé was deprived of many things during his childhood and it made him sad and angry every time he learned something new. He couldn't understand how a person could be cruel to a child. He wanted to find the Dursleys and hurt them for hurting the man he loved, but Harry told him that it wasn't worth it. Harry didn't want to see Vernon or Petunia ever again, although he did keep in contact with Dudley.

"That sounds great, babe. I would love to decorate the tree with you," Charlie said. Unfortunately, his stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

Harry laughed. "I think we should feed the beast before we do anything else."

Elsie popped into view. "Dinner is ready, Masters Harry and Charlie."

"Thank you, Elsie, but you didn't have to cook. We could have managed," Harry said.

The two men walked to the kitchen where they smelled the delicious aromas of lasagna and garlic bread. After eating their fill of the rich and hearty meal, they headed back to the living room where the tree awaited them. The house-elves had finished decorating everything else while they were eating and returned to the manor.

Charlie added another log to the fire to keep away the chill of a Romanian winter night. He smiled as he saw the stockings hanging from the mantle. They were made from red crushed velvet and had their names embroidered in dark green thread.

Harry knelt down beside the tree and looked in the boxes. He found small, white Ever-lit candles; they would stay lit once ignited until a Finite Incantatem spell was said. They also would never drip wax, so they would stay looking perfect. Harry levitated the candles onto the branches while Charlie opened another box containing the ornaments. There were golden baubles, sparkling icicles, and an assorted mix of round glass balls in many colors.

Harry and Charlie laughed as they decorated their tree. They placed the ornaments on the tree with no rhyme or reason. They chose to use whatever ornament they liked. There was definitely no color scheme. It was a hodgepodge of colors and sizes. However, they loved their tree. They didn't want a perfect or elegant tree. They just wanted a tree that was theirs.

Charlie opened the last box and removed the tree topper. It was a beautiful golden star made of glass with a large gold Ever-lit candle inside. He handed it to Harry. "You should put the star on top."

Harry took the star with reverence. "We should do it together."

Charlie nodded and stood behind him. He wrapped his hand around Harry's wrist as the raven-haired wizard held his wand and softly whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa."

The large star floated up towards the ceiling before gently settling on top of the spruce tree. Harry then lit the candles with a wave of his wand, and the happy couple looked at their tree. They thought it was beautiful and perfect.

Charlie wrapped his strong, freckled and scarred arms around Harry and pulled him back against his body. He pressed a soft kiss to the side of his neck. "It's beautiful. We did a wonderful job."

Harry sighed as he snuggled into his fiancé's embrace. "Not too bad for our first time."

Charlie chuckled deeply. "Let's sit on the couch."

He nodded and stepped out of his arms. "Go ahead. I need to get something out of the kitchen, and then I'll join you."

Inside the kitchen, Harry quickly made his famous hot chocolate. Charlie loved it, so Harry made it often during the cold winter months. Carrying two steaming mugs of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows floating on top, the green-eyed man made his way over to the couch. He handed a mug to the redhead and then sat beside him.

Charlie smiled as he took a sip of the hot beverage. It tasted delicious as always. He carefully wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders, gently tugging him backwards. He didn't want to spill any hot chocolate on his fiancé and burn him. Harry cuddled contently into his side.

A warm glow from the fire and the candles settled on the couple. Harry felt warmth and peace as he leaned against the man he loved. He closed his eyes and whispered, "I love you."

Charlie held him tightly, experiencing the same feelings of peace and joy. "I love you too."

As they curled up on the couch, drinking their hot chocolate and admiring their bright, sparkling tree, they thought this was the perfect start to the holiday season.


	2. All Wrapped Up in Love

"Ugh!" Charlie screamed as he tried to wrap Harry's Christmas present. He was hurrying because he wanted the present wrapped before his fiancé came home. It was already hard enough hiding the present from Harry because the green-eyed wizard loved trying to sneak a peek at his presents. He had finally found the perfect gift: a snow globe with an exact replica of Hogwarts. It had the castle, quidditch stands, Black Lake, Forbidden Forest, and Hagrid's hut. He knew how much Hogwarts meant to his fiancé and that he missed being there sometimes.

He finally unstuck the tape tangled in his fingers and taped down the last corner of the box. He placed a green bow on top and then put the present under the tree. Underneath the tree was going to be very bare as there was only going to be two presents to open on Christmas day. Charlie and Harry had agreed to only buy one present for each other. They had decided they didn't need a lot of things, so they were going to focus on buying presents for their large group of family and friends.

Charlie continued wrapping presents with only a few minor tape miscues. As he was putting the last silver bow on Luna's present, Harry walked into the cabin. He started taking off his outer layers as the cabin was very toasty with the roaring fire.

"Hey, Charlie," he said as he unwrapped his old Gryffindor scarf from around his neck.

"Hi, Harry," the redhead said. "You have impeccable timing. I just finished the last present."

The raven-haired man laughed. "You're obviously better at wrapping than I am. Those presents look wonderful."

"Thanks. Do you want to go to the post office with me? We need to mail these soon so they get there by Christmas."

Harry nodded. "Sure, maybe when we get dinner in Bucharest while we're there."

"Sounds good. By the way, a package came for you. It's on the table," Charlie said as he pointed to the box sitting on the kitchen table.

Harry walked over to the table and picked up the box. Upon seeing the publishing company's return address, he knew that their Christmas cards personalized with their picture had arrived. The day after they trimmed their tree, Harry asked Elsie to come to the cabin. He had bought a Polaroid camera to use on his travels around the world. He liked the fact that it was a muggle camera, so he could take pictures in both worlds. Now, he wanted a picture of Charlie and himself standing in front of their tree.

Charlie had indulged him as Harry picked out their clothes and the best position to stand in. The raven-haired man had chosen a navy sweater for Charlie to compliment his red hair and blue eyes, while he chose an emerald green sweater for himself. He wanted them to be comfortable so he had them wear jeans and boots. As they were around the same height, they stood side by side with their arms wrapped around each other's waist. The tall Norway spruce tree towered over them, sparkling with icicles, baubles, and candles.

Elsie had the camera ready and told them to smile as she took the picture. Harry and Charlie had huge grins on their faces as they thought about how happy this Christmas was going to be. Elsie showed the picture to the couple, and they were happy with it. However, Harry asked her to take another one, so he could frame it and place it on the mantle. He sent the picture and the order form he found in the _Daily Prophet_ to the publishing company so they could make a Christmas card for them.

Now, the cards were here and Harry couldn't wait to see them. He quickly opened the box and removed one of the cards. It was not a wizarding photo, so they didn't move. The card was made from thick, laminated card stock in a bold scarlet color with gold lettering. The picture showed the happy couple smiling in front of their tree with the words "Merry Christmas! Love, Charlie and Harry."

"Love, come here. Our Christmas cards have arrived. We can mail them out with the presents."

The redhead walked over and took a card from him. He thought their friends and family would like the card. "We look good. I'm glad you thought of taking our picture in front of our tree."

"We still need a frame for the other picture. We can shop for one after we go to the post office," Harry said as he produced the list he made of everyone they were sending cards.

Charlie nodded as he watched Harry was put the cards into envelopes and then address them. He walked over to the pile of presents and shrunk them before putting them into a bag. Harry finished the letters and added them to the bag.

After bundling up in their winter gear, they walked to the Apparition point outside the reserve and Disapparated to the wizarding section of Bucharest. Since it is the capital and largest city in Romania, Bucharest has a large wizarding area located near Lake Cișmigiu. Harry and Charlie arrived at the hidden section of Cișmigiu Gardens and tapped their wands at a knot of a hollow tree. The knot expanded until it is large enough for the two men to step into the tree.

Emerging from the hollow tree, Harry and Charlie saw many witches and wizards bustling along the busy shopping market. They headed over to the post office and waited in line for the international owls. After sending cards and presents to all the Weasleys and their significant others, they also sent owls to Neville, Luna, Oliver Wood, Katie Bell, and Victor Krum.

Then, they wandered down the shopping arcade looking for a shop that would sell picture frames. Harry spotted a curiosity shop and led his fiancé into it. He soon found a beautiful frame made from cherry wood. He showed it to Charlie, who was looking at jeweled trinket boxes.

"I like that frame; we should get it," Charlie said. "Do you think Ginny would like one of these boxes?"

"She might like one, but we already bought her a present."

"We could save it for her birthday."

"Good idea, love. Which one do you think she would like?" Harry asked.

Charlie looked at the boxes adorned with red, blue, green, purple, and yellow crystals. A silver octagon-shaped box with deep purple gems stood out to him. "I like the purple one."

The green-eyed wizard looked at the silver and purple box and thought Ginny would like it too. "Let's get it then."

They took their purchases to the old wizard behind the till and quickly paid for them. As the exited the shop, Harry said, "I'm starving. Let's go eat somewhere."

"How about the Black Swan Pub?" asked Charlie. The pub was named after the black swans often found swimming around Lake Cișmigiu.

Harry agreed and they walked into the pub tucked into the corner of the arcade, away from the busy shops. Inside, they were happy to see it wasn't that crowded, and they found a small booth to sit in. They ate a delicious meal including grilled sausages, cabbage rolls, shish kebobs, and fried dough with sweet cheese for dessert. They lingered after their mean, talking quietly and enjoying a Romanian beer.

After leaving the pub, Harry and Charlie walked back to the hollow tree and emerged back into the gardens. Charlie wanted to take a walk around the gardens before they went home.

"Would you like to walk around before we go home?" the redhead asked.

Even though it was cold, Harry thought the gardens looked pretty with a fresh layer of snow sparkling under the lamplights. "Yes, I'd like that."

Charlie smiled and held his hand as they walked around the gardens. They discovered a group of snowmen. Children must have made them because some were misshapen or missing arms or faces. They looked quite charming despite their imperfections.

They stopped at the lake and watched the fountain spraying water high into the air. The famous black swans were not present as it was too cold for the birds. Charlie wrapped his arm around Harry. "I love you."

Harry smiled as he turned to Charlie. After leaning in and giving him a soft kiss, he said, "I love you, too."

Beginning to feel frozen, the happy couple made their way back to the Apparition point. They headed home, feeling proud that their presents and cards were sent to all their loved ones. Now, they just had the dragon reserve Christmas party and Christmas day to look forward to.


	3. Party the Night Away

Black acrid smoke filled the kitchen of the small cabin. As his fiancé pulled the tray of burnt cookies out of the oven, Harry looked at him with a mixture of frustration and reluctant fondness.

"Alright, that's it. You're banned from my kitchen," Harry said.

Charlie pouted as he used his wand to dispel the smoke. "I'm sorry I burnt the cookies, but I can still help."

The raven-haired man laughed. "No, you can't. That is the second batch of cookies you have burnt. The party is tonight; I really need to get these cookies done."

Charlie sighed as he knew Harry was right. He just wasn't a baker. He was a decent cook, but he couldn't bake anything without burning it.

"Fine. What should I do then?"

Harry looked up as he was rolling out more sugar cookie dough. "The presents still need wrapped, and you are the best wrapper."

The redhead nodded. "I can do that."

As he walked out of the kitchen, he snagged a decorated gingerbread man cookie off the counter. He laughed as his fiancé shouted after him.

"Hands off, Weasley, those are for the party."

Harry shook his head in exasperation as Charlie went into the living room, munching on his stolen cookie. He ran a critical eye over his finished cookies. He had volunteered to make the cookies for tonight's Christmas Eve party. He had a several dozen chocolate chip, peanut butter, gingerbread men, and shortbread cookies. He also had an impressive array of sugar cookies cut like snowman, snowflakes, stars, reindeer, and Santa Claus. After putting this last batch of cookies into the oven to replace the burnt ones, he should have enough for tonight.

A few hours later, Harry and Charlie walked into the party. They handed their two presents to Andrew, who was in charge of the gift exchange. The presents were assigned numbers as they arrived to the party. Later, people would draw numbers out of a hat to choose a present. The gifts were a mix of gag or practical items.

Harry and Charlie had chosen to get their gifts from the twin's joke shop. Fred and George had invented a holiday line of joke gifts; they had been inspired by Muggle Christmas stories. Harry had picked the Rudolph gumdrops, which turned a person into a version of the red-nosed reindeer. They would have a bright, red shining nose and antlers growing on top of their head. Charlie had chosen the Holly Jolly Elf edible delights, which turned a person into the Muggle version of a Santa's little helpers. The person would shrink in height and their clothes transformed into an elf's costume, complete with pointy shoes with jingle bells. The effects of both candies only lasted five minutes. They were looking forward to seeing who would receive their presents.

After he deposited his cookies onto the food tables, Harry looked around the room at his friends and coworkers. The theme of this year's party was ugly Christmas sweaters. He laughed as he saw some of the sweaters; they were truly an awful assault on the eyes. There were lots of tinsel, bows, and twinkling lights.

Charlie handed him a glass of eggnog and said, "I think our sweaters are tame compared to the others."

Harry nodded as he glanced at the redhead's sweater. It had a dragon wearing a Santa hat, flying over the North Pole. His own sweater had Frosty the Snowman dancing with penguins and polar bears. Neither one had lights nor tinsel, so they were less garish than the other sweaters.

After a loud and boisterous holiday feast, everyone gathered around Andrew, who was holding a large red Santa hat. Everybody reached in and grabbed a small piece of paper with a number written on it. Then, the present with the corresponding number was levitated to the right person. Gifts were flying through the air as everyone laughed and snatched their present out of the air.

With his Seeker eyes, Harry watched as his present wrapped with bright gold paper was grabbed by his boss, Rick. He knew Rick would be a good sport about the gag gift and get a good laugh out of it.

The green-eyed wizard opened his present and received a coffee mug with a roaring dragon and the words, 'I'm a dragon keeper, I like it hot!" Charlie laughed as his fiancé showed him the mug with a wink. The redhead's gift had been a hand-knit woolen hat and scarf. He guessed that Linda, the head nurse, had knitted the items. She always had her knitting needles and yarn in hand in the hospital wing during the less busy times.

Rick walked over to the happy couple, holding his box of Rudolph gumdrops. "Do either of you know what this is?"

"Why would you think we would know what that is?" Harry asked.

"Because it says it's a Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes product, and Charlie, you are a Weasley."

"My twin brothers own a joke shop. That does look like one of their products," Charlie said, trying not to laugh.

"What's a Rudolph and what will this candy do if I eat it?" Rick asked. He didn't know any Muggle Christmas stories.

"It looks like the twins went Muggle this year for their holiday treats," Harry explained. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Muggle Christmas story for children."

"So if I eat this I'll turn into a reindeer?" Rick asked, genuinely curious.

Charlie pretended to read the box, not wanting to give away that he and Harry knew exactly what the candy would do. "I think you'll just get a red nose and antlers."

"Hmm, that should be interesting," Rick replied. He opened the box and put a gumdrop in his mouth and chewed carefully. It had a strong cinnamon taste.

The couple watched eagerly as Rick's nose turned red and started glowing brightly. Antlers began growing on top of his head, ending in an impressive twelve-point rack.

"Looking good, boss," Harry said with a smirk.

By this time a small crowd had gathered around, they wanted to know why their boss now looked like he was part reindeer. Rick explained his present and the most adventurous of the group eagerly tried the gumdrops themselves.

Charlie looked around to see who had received his present. He soon heard a shriek as Teri, the head security witch, suddenly shrunk to three feet tall and dressed like one of Santa's elves. It was quite amusing to see the no-nonsense, formidable witch transformed into a jolly elf.

The party waged on and multiple Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeers and Holly Jolly Elves were seen dancing around. As many cups of eggnog, ale, and wine were consumed, some people began singing carols. A rousing rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs" rang around the room.

Harry thought of his only Christmas with Sirius, who had sung the same song. The memory filled him with happiness. He would always miss his godfather, but his memories were no longer sad.

Charlie wrapped his arm around his fiancé and steered him over to a specific spot. "Look up, love."

He smirked as he saw a sprig of mistletoe hanging above their heads. "Trying to trick me into kissing you, Weasley?"

"Like I need to trick you; you love kissing me," he said right before pulling Harry into a deep, passionate kiss.

The happy couple kissed for several long minutes, completely unaware of their surroundings. They lost themselves in the familiar yet encompassing feelings of lust, passion, and love. They didn't notice as their friends walked over, shaking their heads at the couple's antics. Everybody at the reserve was used to Harry and Charlie's public displays of affection.

"Hey lovebirds, why don't you two get a room?" asked Tim, a dragon keeper who worked with Harry with the Norwegian Ridgebacks.

The raven-haired man reluctantly ended their kiss. "You know that is a great idea, Tim. I think Charlie and I are going to call it a night."

The blue-eyed wizard nodded eagerly. "Yeah, we should get going. We have to work in the morning, so we should make it an early night."

Their friends laughed as the couple shouted 'Merry Christmas' over their shoulders as they raced out the door. They may be leaving the party early, but their friends doubted they would have an early night.

Harry and Charlie ran back to their cabin, laughing as they almost slipped on the ice. Once inside the cabin, Charlie pressed Harry back against the door and claimed his mouth in a fervent kiss. They struggled to remove their coats without stopping their kiss. The green-eyed wizard pushed against his fiancé and walked him backwards, heading for the bedroom. As they reached their bed, Charlie spun them around, so Harry landed first on the bed. He followed him down and resumed kissing him.

He gasped as Charlie trailed a path of kisses down his neck. "Do you think Santa will care if I open one of my presents early?"

Charlie blinked in confusion at Harry's unexpected question. "Huh?"

Harry smiled deviously as he held his wand and whispered a spell to vanish their clothing. He ran his hands around the redhead's freckled and scarred shoulders and back. "I'm going to like playing with this present. I must have been a good boy this year."

Charlie chuckled deeply. "I don't know. You appear to be very naughty."

"You complaining?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Absolutely not," he replied as he let Harry pull him into another deep kiss. The witty banter was soon replaced by moans, whimpers, sighs, and soft exclamations of love.

As the clock chimed midnight signaling the start of Christmas day, Harry and Charlie were sleeping soundly in each other's arms. Blankets piled high to keep the chill of the winter's night off their naked bodies. Instead of visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, they dreamt of their future together, happily married and surrounded by their friends and family.


	4. Ringing in the New Year

Author's Note: This is the final chapter. I hope you have enjoyed all of this holiday fluff.

"Tyler, move back!" Harry shouted as he hovered on his broom above the angry female Norwegian Ridgeback. The trainee Tyler was flying too close to the dragon.

"I want to see what she has," Tyler yelled back.

"Fly higher!" Harry ordered as he carefully watched the dragon, beginning to fly closer to Tyler. If the trainee didn't fly away from the dragon, Harry would have to intervene and pull him to safety.

Although it wasn't breeding season, the female dragon was feeling broody. She had gathered an unknown object, possibly a shiny rock, and was guarding it fiercely like it was an egg. If Tyler flew any closer to her, she would attack.

Tyler ignored Harry's order and flew closer to the dragon. The green-eyed wizard heard the warning click Norwegian Ridgebacks make right before they let loose a stream of fire. He was shouting for the trainee to move even as he flew into him, knocking him out of the way of the flames. He instantly felt intense heat and pain as the flames touched his right arm, torso, and thigh.

Tyler's broom had fallen into a spin as Harry barreled into him. As he gained control of the broom, he watched in horror as the other man was burnt. He knew if he hadn't been knocked out of the way, he would have been directly in the line of fire.

Tim, another dragon keeper working with the Ridgebacks, had been on the other side of the Ridgeback sanctuary when he heard Harry's shouts. He raced towards the two men and the angry dragon, but he was too late to prevent any injuries. He stopped his broom next to Harry's as the raven-haired man bent over his broom, gritting his teeth.

"Harry, how bad is it?" Tim asked in concern for his friend.

"Not too bad," he said. "I can make it back to the ground."

Harry flew his broom one-handed back to the ground. His other co-workers had already been alerted by Tim and were waiting with medical supplies. Harry gingerly sat on the levitating stretcher and accepted a pain-relieving potion.

Before he followed Harry to the ground, Tim turned to the pale and shaken Tyler. "Get your arse back on the ground. We'll be reviewing safety protocols and listening to direct orders later."

After he walked over to the injured man, Tim said, "I'll find Charlie and tell him you're in the infirmary."

"Tell him not to worry, I'll be fine," he said as he lay down on the stretcher, ready to go see the healer.

Tim shook his head. "Just worry about yourself for now. I'll see you later."

He hopped onto his broom and flew over to the Hungarian Horntails sanctuary. He was not looking forward to telling Charlie that his boyfriend was injured. The redhead was very over-protective. He stopped at the edge of the sanctuary, looking for his friend. After spotting Charlie flying around the perimeter doing a security check, Tim flew closer and yelled his name.

Charlie looked over his shoulder when he heard his name. He stopped flying to wait for Tim to come closer. "What's up, Tim?"

"Harry's fine but he's in the infirmary. Burns on the right side of his body," Tim said quickly.

The experienced dragon keeper felt his heart stop in fear. Harry was injured. "How bad? What happened?"

"He said it wasn't too bad. It looks like the flames hit his arm, side, and thigh."

Charlie took a deep breath. If he was awake and talking, he couldn't be too badly hurt. He did have an annoying tendency to downplay his own injuries though, so Charlie wouldn't feel better until he saw his fiancé himself and talked to the healer. He flew towards the ground where one of his co-workers was standing. He quickly explained about Harry's injuries and that he was taking the rest of the day off. Then, he turned around and started flying towards the infirmary, which was located in the center of the preserve.

"So, what happened? Harry's usually very careful," Charlie said. He remembered when Harry first started training; he was young and reckless. The redhead often had to yell at him to follow directions and be more careful. Now, the green-eyed wizard was a dedicated dragon keeper; determined to keep himself, his co-workers, and the dragons safe.

"The new trainee, Tyler, flew too close to a female Ridgeback. I heard Harry yelling at him to move away from her. He didn't listen and she attacked. I saw Harry push him out of the way of the flames and get hit instead."

Charlie smiled slightly. Harry's saving people thing was responsible again. He would never change; he would always choose to save somebody, even at risk to himself. Charlie just wished he would worry about himself more.

The two men continued flying quietly. Tim told Charlie he visit Harry later, he had to go back to work. The redhead landed close to the infirmary and quickly walked into the building. He instantly saw Harry resting on a bed.

"Harry!" he exclaimed as he reached his fiancé's side. "How are you feeling? What did the healer say?"

Harry smiled but it was laced with pain. "Don't worry, love. The protective clothing took the brunt of the attack. I have a few burns on my forearm, torso, hip, and thigh. Healer Thompson put on the burn salve and gave me pain potions. I'll be alright in no time."

Charlie ran a critical eye over Harry's body. His upper body was bare and he could see white bandages wrapped around his arm and ribs. He guessed there was a similar bandage wrapped around his hip and upper thigh. He sat down on the bed, beside Harry's uninjured side.

"Do you have to save everyone?" the redhead sighed. "Seeing you hurt isn't good for my heart."

"I know, Charlie, I don't like it when you're hurt either," he said, holding onto his hand. "But I couldn't let Tyler get hurt. He was facing her head on. He would have been hurt a lot worse than I was."

Charlie grimaced. A face full of dragon fire could have been fatal. He was glad that Harry had saved the trainee. He squeezed the raven-haired man's hand. "I'm proud of you."

Harry smiled bashfully. "Thanks. I wasn't even thinking. I just pushed him out of the way."

"Saving people is second nature to you. It just comes naturally."

Harry didn't say anything. He remembered Hermione calling it his saving people thing back in fifth year before they went to the Ministry to save Sirius. He was reminded that it could either be a good or bad thing.

Charlie sensed that he was uncomfortable and changed the subject. "So, how long do you have to stay here?"

"Healer Thompson wants to check on the burns in an hour, and then I can go home. Bed rest for a couple days. Guess I have to miss the party tomorrow night."

The preserve was throwing a New Year's Eve party tomorrow night. Harry and Charlie were going to attend, although Harry planned on leaving early because he had a surprise for the redhead.

"That's ok, I'd rather spend New Year's with just you," the blue-eyed wizard said. He was thinking that a romantic, intimate dinner with his fiancé sounded better than a loud, boisterous party.

The couple spent the next hour talking quietly about work and their plans to visit England in a few weeks. They were planning to host a dinner party at Potter Manor to tell their friends and family about their engagement. They were excited to share their good news, although they were worried about Molly's reaction.

Healer Thompson walked over to the two men. He was in his late fifties and had a head full of silver hair. He had a kind bedside manner, but he was also no-nonsense with his patients' following his orders. Linda, the head nurse, followed the healer to Harry's bed. She was a matronly woman in her early seventies.

"Alright, Harry, let's take a look at your burns, then I'll let you go home," Thompson said.

Linda carefully pulled the blankets back, trying to preserve Harry's modesty as he was nude. The healer and nurse gently removed the bandages and examined the wounds.

"These are looking good. I'll apply some more salve and bandages. You can dress, so you can leave. Once you get home, I want you in bed, with little or no clothing on. I don't want anything touching the bandages or pressing on the wounds," Thompson said.

Harry sent a wink towards Charlie. With a smirk he said, "Healer Thompson, I didn't know you were so bold, propositioning me in front of my boyfriend. You sir are shameless."

Linda and Charlie laughed at the baffled healer. When he realized what he said, Thompson blushed. "You know what I meant, Potter. Besides, I wouldn't want to get on Charlie's bad side. I hear he as a fiery temper."

"Yep, fiery as a dragon," Harry said, chuckling at the groans he received from the others.

"That was terrible, love," Charlie said.

Thompson and Linda quickly had the patient re-wrapped in bandages and ready to go. Linda handed him his supply of pain-relieving potions.

"I want those bandages changed every eight hours. The potion can be taken every six hours if needed. If you have any problems, come back here immediately," the healer said.

"Thank you," Harry said as they left. He refused Linda's offer to help him dress. He preferred Charlie's help in dressing him. The redhead gently dressed him in a robe and helped him to the fireplace. The infirmary's fireplace was connected to all the cabins on the preserve in case of emergencies. Harry limped over to the fireplace and used floo powder to go home.

Charlie ushered him into the bedroom and removed the robe. He was going to follow the healer's instructions faithfully. He propped Harry against the headboard with lots of pillows and covered him with a light blanket. "Are you in any pain? Are you tired?"

Harry laughed at his mother-hen routine. "Relax, babe. I'm fine. No, I'm not tired or in any pain. I am hungry though."

Charlie nodded. "I'll go make dinner. What do you want?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care. Whatever you want is fine with me."

Charlie went to the kitchen to see what he could make them for dinner. When he was alone, Harry quickly became bored. He grabbed his wand that Charlie had thoughtfully left on the bedside table and summoned the book he was reading from the living room. By the time his fiancé came back in carrying their plates, Harry had read quite a few chapters of the mystery novel that Hermione had recommended.

Charlie handed him a plate of fried sausages, potatoes, peppers, and onions. It was a simple yet hearty meal. He also handed him a glass of water. He didn't want to give him any alcohol to interfere with the potion.

The two men eagerly ate their meal and relaxed in their bed. Despite his protests, Charlie could see that Harry was tired. He told his fiancé to take a nap and he would wake him later to change his bandages and give him another dose of the pain-relieving potion. Harry quickly fell asleep and Charlie left the room. He fire-called a co-worker to see if there were any problems with the Horntails after he left. He was thankful that he wasn't working tomorrow, so he could stay with his injured fiancé.

A few hours later, Charlie gently woke up Harry and changed his bandages. He could already see the wounds starting to heal thanks to the salve. He gave the green-eyed wizard another dose of potion and let him go back to sleep. Harry was only half-awake during the process. Charlie knew he needed sleep to fully heal. He changed into his pajamas and joined his fiancé in bed.

The next day passed quietly. Harry rested in bed, reading his book. Charlie puttered around the cabin, casting cleaning spells and doing the laundry. Tim visited in the morning. He told Harry that his friends and co-workers wished him a speedy recovery and that Tyler was still badly shaken. The young trainee was feeling terrible that his actions had hurt Harry, and he was also realizing how close he came to death. Working with dragons was a hazardous profession. Tyler would have to decide if he had the strength and courage to face danger every day.

Although he had to change his plans, Harry was determined to carry through with his surprise for Charlie. After checking that the redhead was still focused on the laundry, he quietly called for Elsie. The house-elf popped into the bedroom.

"Master Harry, what happened to you? Why didn't you call for me sooner?" Elsie said in distress at seeing her injured master.

"Shush, Elsie. I'm fine. Charlie has been taking good care of me. Can you bring me the box I asked you to get from Gringotts?"

"Yes, Master Harry." Elsie popped out and returned a moment later with a medium-sized oak box with the Potter family crest engraved on the lid.

"Thank you, Elsie. This is just what I wanted."

"Do you need anything else, Master Harry?"

He thought for a moment. He wanted to make tonight special for Charlie. His original plan had been to leave the party early and return to their cabin for a private celebration. He planned to surprise Charlie with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, but he still wasn't allowed any alcohol.

"Could you make dinner for us? It will have to be something we can easily eat here. Charlie won't let me out of bed yet. Let's keep the chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert but substitute sparkling grape juice instead of champagne."

"Very good, Master Harry. I will be back with your dinner," Elsie said and then popped back to the manor.

Harry smiled. He hid the box in the drawer of the bedside table. After they ate dinner, he would show Charlie his surprise. He refused to let his injury ruin this night for them.

A few minutes later, the blue-eyed wizard poked his head in the door. "Hey love, how are you feeling?"

Harry put his book down and smiled at the redhead. "Lonely. Why don't you join me in bed?"

"That sounds great but I have to make dinner," Charlie said regretfully.

"No you don't. Elsie is making dinner for us, so you're free to join me," Harry said, patting the bed beside him.

Charlie walked over to the bed and sat beside him. "Why is she making dinner for us? When did you talk to her?"

"I called her when you were doing laundry. Since its New Year's Eve, I wanted to do something special for us."

Charlie softly kissed his fiancé. "Thanks, Harry. A romantic dinner in bed sounds wonderful."

"Good, now you can relax for the rest of the day. Want to take a nap with me? Elsie will wake us for dinner."

Charlie nodded and helped Harry lay down. He snuggled up to his uninjured side and sighed in content when Harry wrapped his good arm around him. He quietly whispered, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Harry whispered. "Now sleep."

A few hours later, Elsie popped into the bedroom. She saw her masters sleeping peacefully, so she quietly placed a tray stand set with two place settings beside the bed. She popped back to the manor to retrieve their meal. She had made salmon with a lemon-dill sauce, rice, and steamed vegetables. She efficiently plated their meals and poured the sparkling white grape juice into fluted glasses. Then, she woke up her masters.

As Harry came awake, he smelled a wonderful aroma. He blinked open his eyes and saw Elsie standing proudly beside their dinner. Beside him, he heard Charlie groan.

"That smells amazing, Elsie." The redhead said as he sat up.

"Thank you, Master Charlie." The house-elf said. She angled the tray to hover over their laps, so they could eat in bed without making a mess. She placed the chocolate-covered strawberries and an ice bucket containing the bottle of sparkling juice on Harry's bedside table.

"Thank you for dinner. You did a wonderful job," Harry said.

"You're welcome, Master Harry. Call me if you need anything else." Elsie popped back to the manor to give her masters privacy. She knew what he was planning.

"Is this champagne?" Charlie asked. "You can't have alcohol yet."

"It's sparkling grape juice," Harry said. He drank a small sip. He was pleasantly surprised by the taste.

Charlie tried the bubbly juice too. "This is quite good. It certainly looks festive."

Harry hummed in agreement. He was focused on finishing dinner, so he could get to the surprise. After Charlie at his last bite, Harry moved the tray stand away from the bed. He turned to face him.

"I have a surprise for you," the raven-haired man exclaimed excitedly.

"You do? What is it? I hope you didn't get out of bed for it," Charlie chided.

"Relax, babe. I asked Elsie to get it for me." Harry opened the drawer and retrieved the oak box. Before he opened it, he began to explain.

"I wanted to start this new year right. I wanted us to be wearing our engagement rings, so we can show everybody how much we love each other and that we're going to be married soon."

Charlie looked at the box more closely. He recognized the Potter family crest on the lid. "Harry, is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, these are the Potter family rings. I haven't looked at them yet. I wanted us to do it together. We're not obligated to wear any of these rings, so if we don't like any of them, it's not a problem. We can always go to a jewelry store to find our rings."

Charlie was feeling the same excitement as his fiancé. He wanted to wear Harry's ring on his finger and proudly show the world that they belonged together. "Let's open the box."

Harry took a deep breath and then smiled at Charlie. He placed the box between them and opened the lid. Inside there were many gold rings, mostly with rubies and diamonds. They skipped over the obvious feminine rings. Some of the masculine rings had lions or griffins emblazoned on them.

"These all look very Gryffindorish," Harry said. He felt like he was back in the Gryffindor common room, surrounded by red and gold adornments.

"Well, there is that rumor that the Potters are descended from Godric Gryffindor," Charlie said. He wanted to wear a ring from Harry's family, but these all seemed to be too garish or extravagant. They weren't suited to their tastes.

Harry was disappointed. He couldn't see Charlie or himself wearing any of these rings. None of them were right. He was about to close the box when he spotted a pair of rings nestled between two of the more excessive rings.

"Wait, look at these rings," he said as he pulled them out of the box. He loved them at first sight.

They were thick gold bands with engraved Celtic love knots and small, square-cut rubies interspersed around the band. The rubies were in a channel setting, so they were incorporated into the ring. There were no raised edges to get caught on things like their work gloves. They were a perfect pair of rings for a pair of dragon keepers.

Charlie picked up one of the rings and looked at it in wonder. They looked perfect, like they were made for the two of them. They were simple yet very well-crafted. They were masculine yet elegant.

Watery blue eyes met watery green eyes. They looked at each other and smiled. They had found their rings.

Charlie picked up Harry's left hand and poised the ring above his ring finger. "With this ring, I, Charles Gideon Weasley, promise to marry you, Harry James Potter."

He nodded for Harry to do the same. The raven-haired man held Charlie's left hand and poised the ring above his ring finger. "With this ring, I, Harry James Potter, promise to marry you, Charles Gideon Weasley."

Then, they both slid the rings down each other's fingers; the rings had an altering charm, so they were a perfect fit. As the rings slid into place, shimmery silver light glowed around the rings then faded away after a moment. They looked at each other in shock. Harry found his voice first.

"What was that?"

"I'm not sure, but I think the silver light was the recognition of our promise to marry each other. When we say our wedding vows, the rings should glow gold, symbolizing our bond," Charlie said thoughtfully. He had heard of this happening but had never seen it in person.

Harry considered this information. "So, the magic in the rings recognized our promise and later will recognize our bond. That is so cool!"

Charlie laughed. "Yes, it is."

Harry looked at the ring on his finger and the matching ring on Charlie's. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. He was going to marry the most amazing man.

"I love you so much," he said emotionally.

"I love you too, more than I ever thought possible," Charlie said. He was feeling gratitude that he had found the love of his life and that he had the opportunity to marry his soulmate.

Harry smiled brightly. "We're officially engaged now."

Charlie returned his smile. "So, my official fiancé, what do you want to do now?"

He slid his left hand around Charlie's neck and pulled him closer. "Well, I have chocolate-covered strawberries and more sparkling grape juice to celebrate New Year's and our engagement, but first I want to do this."

Harry kissed him passionately. Charlie moaned in appreciation and deepened the kiss. After several long kisses, they soon forgot about the need to be careful of Harry's wounds. Charlie's hand gripped Harry's side tightly to pull him flush against his body, but Harry let out painful groan. Charlie immediately let him go.

"I'm sorry, love. I forgot. Are you ok?" Charlie said as he looked at his torso, checking the bandages.

"I'm ok, just took me by surprise. Now, where were we?" Harry tried to pull the redhead in closer, but Charlie wasn't budging.

"No, we can't tonight, love. You're still not fully healed. We can continue tomorrow if you're feeling better."

Harry pouted. "But I want you now."

Charlie softly kissed his pouting lips. "Me too, but I'm not going to hurt you. So, let's eat those strawberries and toast our official engagement and this coming year."

Harry nodded. "Ok, we can do that, but tomorrow you're all mine."

Chuckling deeply, Charlie stated, "I'm all yours today, tomorrow, and forever."

The green-eyed wizard kissed him ardently. "I'm yours too for eternity."

Charlie gave him a quick kiss before getting out of bed to retrieve the strawberries and pour them another glass of the bubbly juice. He handed a glass to his fiancé and placed the strawberries on the bed between them. While Charlie was pouring the juice, Harry had returned the box full of rings back to the drawer. He would have Elsie return the rings to his vault at Gringotts.

"I know it's not midnight, but I won't be awake then," Harry said, reluctantly admitting that he wasn't feeling his best and needing rest. "So, let's have our toast now."

Charlie agreed and he began the toast, "May this coming year bless us with love and laughter."

"May this coming year bless us with health and happiness."

"May this coming year bless us strength and patience for the hard times."

"And may this coming year equally bless our friends and family," Harry stated as he finished the toast.

They clinked their glasses together and took a drink, commemorating their toast. They snuggled together as they ate the strawberries, enjoying the warm, intimate moment. It may not be as exciting as fireworks or a party, but the couple thought this was the perfect way to ring in the new year.


End file.
